I grew up in a church where, every Sunday, both in the “Sunday School Assembly” before you went to class and in the morning worship service, we did “responsive readings.” Those were found in the back of what now seem to be relics of an age gone by, called hymnbooks.
I suspect that had I been smart enough to ask back in those days and inquired about why we did that, I would have been quoted Paul’s words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13, when he says, “give attention to the public reading of Scripture.” Had I asked that question of a person who took a good course in patristic theology in seminary, I might have been told, “the early church created lectionaries for public reading, which are similar to our responsive readings.”
I can already hear the pushback! “The printing press had not been invented when Paul told Timothy to pay attention to the public reading of Scripture, and most people were illiterate to begin with.” I can’t disagree with a bit of that. But . . . depending on which scholar you read, somewhere in the 10 to 20% range of people in the ancient world were literate. Their life was much more communal than ours, so even if they didn’t have access to their own personal copies of Scripture, I suspect they had “community access” in ways we wouldn’t recognize. Think of that miracle: groups of believers gathering around sacred texts for communal reading – public reading.
Thus, the argument becomes, “We don’t need ‘public reading’ like they did; we all have our own copies of Scripture.” Personally, I would push back on that on at least two levels – first, Scripture belongs to the people of God, not to me personally. I spend time every day reading the Bible personally, but I hope I do that within the context of the Bible belonging to the people of God, not to me. Second, I pay attention to the Barna Group’s research. I think I’m accurate in saying they typically suggest that among evangelical Christians (people who believe the Bible is the trustworthy Word of God), about 13% of us read Scripture daily. That number is right in the middle of the percentage of people in the ancient world who were literate. I’m thinking Paul might say the same thing to the Timothys of our own age.
I won’t name the region, much less the state or city where this happened, but about 20 years ago, I attended a Sunday morning worship service in a church of my own faith tradition. It wasn’t a mega-church, so don’t assume that. In the service, they sang worship songs, they had prayer, they had an offering and a communion meditation, there was a sermon, and there were even several baptisms. Not one word of Scripture was read! I’m convinced that an out-of-context Facebook post of a Scripture verse is no substitute for the “public reading” of Scripture.
I’m a member of Legacy Christian Church in Senoia, Georgia. A part of my reason for wanting to be a member of that church is that I believe we take Scripture seriously. We also think that we are in the middle of an incredible opportunity to be an influence for the Kingdom. Last night was the monthly “Alive after Five” event in Senoia. Our church participated in that event with passion – including not only a story time focused on gospel outcomes, but a living Nativity Scene. I was asked to dress up as Isaiah and read the Isaiah 9:6,7 text as people came through our presentation. I was more than happy to do that.
As I read that text – multiple times – I kept thinking, “I grew up in church. I’ve heard this all my life. Will people walking through our living nativity get what this is about?” When I got home, frozen to the bone – the wind chill was 24 degrees last night in Senoia – I kept thinking about the “big story.” I know this is too long to have read last night. Perhaps we could have printed it and given it away as a handout as people left!
Here is what I do know. When I woke up this morning, having been rescued by a warm house and nice blankets, I could only think about the “big story” of Jesus. I can’t reduce it to a prophecy from Isaiah or Micah, or a historical narrative from Matthew or Luke. It is “the story of the universe.”
I have the blessed privilege of preaching at Legacy Christian Church this Sunday. I’m focused on the Luke 2 story. I hope and pray it will reflect the bigger picture of what Scripture has to say about Jesus, and I hope you will find what follows as a helpful guide to what Scripture says about the birth of Jesus. I’m not sure how you might use it – but I may it be a blessing to you!
A Reading from Scripture for Christmas
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:6,7)
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
(Micah 5:2)
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’”
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:1-7)
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
(John 1:14-18)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
(Mark 1:14, 15)
This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
[All Scriputre is quoted from The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). Thomas Nelson Publishers.]
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Wye Huxford 